SO! Here is the first post in my little challenge! As some of you may have seen on my facebook page, I have decided to get my act together a little bit and get back to basics. Starting on the 9th I began a 40 day yoga challenge and decided to include a social media detox. Of course many of you pointed out that blogging about not being on social media is still being on social media so I will be clearer about this challenge.
This whole idea has probably been brewing for a while but it came to light last week. Spring has sprung in Vancouver, the sun is shining and the energy has shifted to one of excitement and adventure but I wasn’t feeling it. I have been working a lot to save money to expand my coaching business and sleeping in but sometimes more than was needed. Days off were spent laying around and watching videos and reading articles to get ideas for my business but not actually promoting myself! In the last few months I have noticed a behaviour pattern where I kind of ‘check out’. I go into a little world where I spend hours watching TV, procrastinating important things, napping excessively, and essentially hiding. If you know me personally, you know how much of a people person I am so this may seem a little unusual but in a weird way for a while I was convincing myself that social media was still a form of connecting to people. May 2nd was my wake up call. I woke up and as usual immediately reached for my phone and logged into Facebook. I had a notification that it was my friend’s birthday and prompted me to write on their wall. What Facebook doesn’t know is that this particular friend passed away almost 6 years ago. It’s always a bit jarring to get notifications like that but it was exactly what I needed. I put down my phone and had a good cry. I realised I have been procrastinating life! I’m not fully present and appreciative of the fact that I have wonderful people in my life who love me, that I have a roof over my head, a job, legs that move me, looks and a life that I am not taking advantage of! So I made the decision to start living.
My yoga studio regularly does a 40 day challenge that I had already signed up for so I figured why not take the practice further?! So starting on the 9th I began the challenge and cut out my scrolling habit. I can spend hours on Facebook, watching Snapchat stories and flipping through Instagram so they’re all gone. I don’t regularly tweet but I deleted it as well, (one can just replace the other) I also decided to blog about it as a way of connecting to people in a new and possibly more vulnerable way. This isn’t an action against social media (it is a vital part of my business) this an action towards being present, living my life and being productive! I have removed temptation by deleting apps on my phone, and iPad.
It’s been 4 days and so far I feel pretty good! I still reach for my phone quite a bit, and I have watched a bit more TV but I have also gone to the beach, rode my bike on the seawall, had coffee dates and taken the time to write this! I have admittedly opened Facebook but I checked emails and then logged back out! I’m shocked at my restraint! Especially yesterday and today being days off work! I started watching a series on Netflix (which luckily was only 6 episodes) so I have deleted that app too. I am going to a weekly meditation class, doing yoga every day and embracing the sunshine! I’ve reached out to friends overseas and created a group for us to all connect again and I have begun to work on my business too! I also have so many blog ideas and writing pieces happening; I am giddy! You may still see me on my Facebook business page but this is through a different app that doesn’t let me scroll. I don’t intend to disappear so much as refocus my energies. I respond well to encouragement and will likely need it to keep the momentum going so I hope you’ll be supportive! Which brings me to my next point:
Part of my intention is to use this blog as a connection piece and I would love to take it further…do any of you need a little shake up? Feel like your life is running you? Find yourself sitting in a room full of people and feeling alone? Have you ever noticed the day came and went and you don’t remember doing anything? What are you distracting yourself from feeling? How do you do this? Want to break free?
I’d love you to join me on this journey! Take the challenge! Put your phone down! Look around! See the beauty in life! Tell someone you love them! (Start with the person in the mirror!) Connect to other humans, connect to yourself! It’s easier said than done! I’m sharing this because I will probably need support and if you want to do this so will you! Comment below or contact me if you want to join me and let’s start living our best lives together!!
Much Love!
Kendra
